The Fayette Tribune, Oak Hill, W.Va.

Local News

September 5, 2012

Tribune Readers’ Views for Thursday, Sept. 6

Let’s all help revive

respect in our schools



I am a parent of children who attend Fayetteville Elementary School. Recently, I have observed some very upsetting behavior from adults picking up their children at the school. There has been daily yelling at school personnel, spitting and worse.

All of this behavior is because the school has implemented a new policy for dropping off and picking up children at the school. They made this change to improve the safety of our children. Previously there were buses, cars and children all intermixed. I repeatedly observed cars driving up sidewalks, cars diving under buses that were unloading and loading. We have to protect our children. It would never be worth the rush if a child was run over.

I have listened to numerous stories from other parents and school personnel telling me that they are repeatedly yelled at, treated with disrespect, and asked to accommodate a lack of responsibility. This has to stop! We all know our schools need improvement. We know that there have been problems with the ways our schools have been run for years. But that doesn’t excuse any of this poor behavior.

When the current adults were children, they weren’t allowed to be disrespectful to their teachers or disobey. If they did, they were disciplined and held accountable for their actions. I have heard stories of kids who don’t turn in homework repeatedly and when their teacher finally gives them a failing grade, the parents come in angry telling the teachers to give them another chance. Why?

It is time we stood with, and up for our schools. If being a decent human being and a responsible adult aren’t enough, here’s a good reason to do better. Let’s break it down to economics. We all want a better local economy and more jobs. Research shows that economic improvement comes to areas with better schools. Also schools with parental and community support are higher performing.

So it’s simple, if you want more jobs, you want opportunities for your children, then let us stop fighting our schools and stand with them. Let’s stop treating our teachers and school personnel as hostile enemies (which really is absurd; they are dedicated to the well-being of our kids too, and to treat them badly is just unacceptable), and participate in your school. Attend the school meetings, learn more about what’s going on, have a conversation, be a part of the solution.

Fayetteville Elementary itself has three easy opportunities to be heard. They have the LSIC (Local School Improvement Council), the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) and a new PAC (Parent Advisory Council). All of these are designed to ask parents and families to work with the school. Tell them what is not working, and then do what responsible adults do, help them find the answers to make things better.

I believe bad behavior from adults towards school personnel must end, now. We are a proud local community. Let’s act in ways that make us proud of each other. And most importantly, let’s all work together to improve our schools with our school staff, for our children.



Lauren Weatherford

Fayetteville Elementary School parent

Fayetteville

Text Only
Local News
  • Wood graduates from military training courses

    Army National Guard Pfc. David A. Wood Jr. has graduated from One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville, Mo., which included basic military training and advanced individual training (AIT).

    May 18, 2013

  • 1A1 congrats .jpg Class of 2013 honored at WVU Tech

    West Virginia University Institute of Technology honored the Class of 2013 during the 114th commencement on campus this past Saturday.

    May 15, 2013 4 Photos

  • Commission works on getting facility up and running

    Now that the new downtown amphitheater is up, the City of Oak Hill is taking steps to get it running.
    At a council meeting on Monday night, members considered and eventually passed a rental contract for those who want to make use of the facility.

    May 15, 2013

  • Former Mount Hope man invites city government to engage in sports tourism

    A former Mount Hope resident says the town and the region are ripe to develop a sports tourism industry, given the potential of a unique stadium and gymnasiums at the YMCA building and the former Mount Hope High School.

    May 15, 2013

  • Judge rejects settlement, dismisses negligence claims in alleged school rape

    A federal judge has rejected a $65,000 settlement offer in a case involving the alleged rape of a young girl at the former Mount Hope High School, while at the same time throwing out negligence claims against one of the teachers originally listed in the suit.

    May 15, 2013

  • Nearly 300 graduate at New River CTC

    New River Community and Technical College as well as its nearly 300 graduates proved Samuel Johnson’s assertion that “Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance” during the college’s 10th commencement exercises Saturday at the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton.

    May 15, 2013

  • 7A2 may group.jpg Garden club holds tree planting ceremony

    Woodland Oaks Garden Club met on May Day along the White Oak Rail Trail at the Depot for a tree planting ceremony honoring Brenda Moore, West Virginia State Garden Club President.

    May 15, 2013 2 Photos

  • Farmers Market open

    The Fayette County Farmers Market is open each Saturday in Fayetteville from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. The market is located in the parking lot of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at the entrance to Fayetteville. The market will be held every Saturday at that location through November.

    May 15, 2013

  • SALS to sponsor summer food program

    The Southern Appalachian Labor School announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program at the SALS Community Center in Beards Fork, Montgomery City Pool and the Historic Oak Hill School. In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

    May 15, 2013

  • Page-Kincaid recognizes Grant’s 30 years of service

    Mary Grant, the bookkeeper/cashier at the Page-Kincaid PSD for 30 years, retired in early April. Mary started with the PSD in 1983 as the cashier, working with the PSD’s former bookkeeper Dorothy Jeffers. Upon the retirement of Dorothy Jeffers, Mary assumed the duties of bookkeeper and office manager in 2008. Mary also possessed a Class I water operator license and served in a back-up capacity to Bart Jackson.

    May 15, 2013